Starlight Guardians: Protector of Hope
by Gen-chan
Summary: Young Princess Safhia has extraordinary powers of the mind, powers that someone wants, badly. The safety of Kinmoku and its people will rest in her small hands, but will she be ready? **CHAPTERS 2 & 3 UP!**
1. Introduction: What this is all about

This story is, indeed, a Sailor Moon fanfic, though it may not be readily obvious in this first part. I have been plotting this story in my mind for quite some time now, and I have finally decided to try and make it happen. The story takes place on the planet Kinmoku and its small moon, Lillith (an original idea of mine) and follows the lives of two of my original characters, as well as the lives of Kakyuu-hime and the Sailor Starlights. The story will be told in three parts, a trilogy of sorts which I will title Starlight Guardians. Part one, called Protector of Hope, will focus on a character named Safhia, who is Kakyuu's older sister by 8 years, and will follow her childhood from the time of Kakyuu's birth to about age 14. Part two, called Protector of Trust, will focus on Safhia's adult life, during which both she and Kakyuu-hime take their respective thrones (Kakyuu- hime to Kinmoku and Safhia to Lillith) and the three Starlights and Safhia's daughter, Genesis (my second original character) come into the picture. Part three, called Protector of Love, will focus on Genesis and the Starlights alone, and will follow them into their early twenties. (titles may change) Needless to say, this is an enormous undertaking, and it will probably take me at least a year to finish if I work steadily, and there is no guarantee that I will be able to. However, the story is in my head and I cannot ignore it; I have no choice but to write it, so I will share it with all of you as I do.  
  
The idea for the story began when I first created Genesis for some SM RPGs on Yahoo. The more I played her and developed her character, the more I began to see the possibilities for her in a fanfic setting. Once Safhia came along, I knew they deserved a story to themselves. My original idea was to write a story beginning with Genesis's birth and chronicling her life up until about the age of 21 (since that was about her age in most of the rpgs I was involved in), but the more I experimented with Safhia's character and began to write my two characters' histories, I began to realize that there was much about them that could only be truly explained in fanfic form. So for months I thought about it, drew diagrams and timelines, planned out on paper and in my head where the storyline would go, what characters I would need to create, envisioning those characters and imagining their personalities, even drawing some initial character designs which I will eventually upload to my webpage for all of you to see. And now, finally, I have managed to begin the writing of this enormous tale. I hope you will all bear with me as I attempt this, but I want this to be my crowning achievement as a fanfic writer, and I will not post anything unless I am completely satisfied with it. (Blame my mom for my perfectionism; I got it from her). I hope you enjoy what I have so far, and I promise you that in the end it will be worth your time.  
  
Gen-chan., 1/16/02 


	2. Prologue

Prologue:  
  
Click clack click clack click clack………  
  
The heels of Safhia's shoes clattered against the polished, mirrored- crystal floor as she walked briskly through the great hall towards the Queen's chambers. She could hear the cries of the newborn even here, a distinctly human sound in contrast to the cold echo of her shoes. The baby would be a girl, a sister; that much the voices had told her.  
  
But would she pass the test?  
  
The question seemed to echo in her mind as she reached the end of the hall, her steps slowing as she came up against the heavy silver double doors that separated her mother's private chambers from the rest of the palace. Safhia stopped directly in front of the doors, looking up at them. They were over two stories tall and several inches thick; the handles were at least a foot above her head. How am I ever going to get them open? she thought, the baby's cries sounding louder now that she was so close. She furrowed her small brow in determination and stood on her tiptoes, taking hold of the large silver door handle with both hands and pulling with all the strength in her body. After a moment the door crept open an inch, then two. She gritted her teeth and manage to pull a little harder, and the door swung open soundlessly, giving her just enough room to squeeze into the chamber beyond. She slipped inside silently, grateful for the thick deep green carpeting in this part of the palace that eliminated the sound of her steps. She looked around, making certain there was no one to see her, and hurried to the door opposite the one she had entered through. Behind this door was the bedchamber, where her mother and new sister would be. The door was slightly ajar, so Safhia pressed herself against it and peered into the room beyond.  
  
From where she stood, Safhia could see the very center of the room. A large oaken wardrobe with mirrored crystal panels in the doors stood against the opposite wall, flanked by a smaller dresser on one side and a screened changing area on the other. She knew that her mother's grand canopied bed stood against the right-hand wall, though it was out of her field of vision . From the bed came the loud cries of the baby and the voices of her mother and father. They were too soft to hear what they were saying, but they sounded happy.  
  
In the middle of the floor was a high, ornate, circular crystal table that looked a little like an altar, the flat tabletop covered with soft white padding. A servant carrying a large bowl of water and several soiled towels walked away from where the bed would be and towards the altar, crouching down before it and pouring some of the water in the bowl into a smaller flask on the floor. Safhia could see that the water was slightly reddish with blood. She swallowed a little nervously and shifted her weight as the servant straightened, turned, and bowed her head to the King and Queen and their newborn daughter, then left the room through a door in the left-hand wall. She knew what would happen next.  
  
The baby's cries suddenly quieted, then were silenced. Above the altar there was a glimmer of white light, joined an instant later by a second, then a third. The three points of light grew, taking on the shape of three many-pointed stars and moving to form a semi-circle around the back of the altar. Then the stars began to grow and transform, becoming three beautiful and nearly identical women with long rivers of silver hair and perfect ivory faces. They wore elaborate mage robes of black, green, and silver, their hands clasped before them and hidden within the robes' wide sleeves. Their heads were bowed, but Safhia could see that each wore a silver band across their forehead with an onyx pendant dangling just above the nose. As the light slowly left their bodies, the women lifted their heads in unison and opened breathtakingly silver eyes, the pupils the same depthless black as the onyx pendants just above them. Safhia knew them instantly, though she could not recall ever having seen them, and she gasped at their perfect beauty, clapping her hands over her mouth in the next instant and inwardly scolding herself for allowing so audible a reaction. It didn't seem as though anyone had heard her – no one looked in her direction or made any sign that they had heard anything – however, she had the distinct feeling that her presence had been noted by the three mages inside.  
  
:Quite perceptive for one so young,: came a woman's voice in her mind, sounding slightly amused.  
  
:We know you are there,: said a second, :But do not worry little one, we will not reveal you.:  
  
:You have certainly gone to a lot of trouble to get here, there is no reason why you should not watch now,: said a third, and the three mages inside seemed to glance her way for an instant, the corners of their mouths twitching slightly with controlled smiles. Safhia's eyes widened she met their gaze, and then she smiled slightly. She could have answered them, but she had a feeling no response was necessary. Something told her they knew her thoughts even before she did herself.  
  
The three women turned collectively towards the king and queen and their new child, and the tallest of the three opened her mouth to speak.  
  
"The three mystics Ashanti, Avani, and Archana at your service, highness," she said in a softly echoing mezzo voice, gesturing to the two women on either side of her, then clasping her hands in front of her as the three bowed in unison.  
  
"Welcome, Lady Archana," came Kailia's voice, sounding somewhat weakened but regal nonetheless. "You and your sisters grace us with your presence."  
  
The sisters straightened and Archana smiled gently. "We come only to do what is required of us, highness." She held out her arms, silver bracelets jingling softly. "Bring us the child."  
  
A moment later, Asram entered into Safhia's line of view, the little baby cradled protectively in his arms and wrapped in a soft white cloth. He approached the tallest mage Archana, who stood several inches above him, and laid the child in her outstretched arms. She held her to her bosom gently, turning to the altar behind her. Slowly, she laid the child on the padded surface of the altar, loosening the cloth around her as her sisters Ashanti and Arvani moved to stand on either side of their sister, forming a triangle around the altar. Archana bent and picked up the flask of water at the foot of the altar, pouring a few drops into the palm of her right hand and into the hands of her sisters. Archana closed her eyes and extended her hand palm-up over the child, and Ashanti and Arvani placed their own open hands over hers. With their left hands, the three mystics made a sign of summation, chanting collectively under their breath in a haunting monotone, and the air between their open hands and the child on the altar began to glow. Safhia could see looks of extreme concentration and determination on the faces of the three sisters, and for a moment there was no sound aside from the voices of the mystics.  
  
Then, as Safhia watched, there was a second glow of light against the baby's forehead. The little girl giggled and clapped her tiny hands as the light formed itself into the symbol of the olive flower. There was a moment of stillness as the chanting of the mages suddenly silenced, and then in a rush the light that had gathered above the child was absorbed into her body. Archana and her sisters opened their eyes and smiled down at the child, who smiled back with the pure happiness of the innocent as the olive- flower symbol on her forehead glowed softly with a warm, white light. The three women touched the first two fingers of their right hands to the symbol on the baby's forehead and spoke together in a one voice:  
  
"On this day, we, the three mystics of Kinmoku, grant thee the powers of a planetary senshi and the protection of the stars. We name thee Kakyuu, the olive flower, and declare thee the new heir to the throne of Kinmoku. May you grow in strength, in soul, and in heart, and may you always use your powers for the good of your kingdom."  
  
Safhia felt a grin spread across her face as she let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in.  
  
It WORKED!  
  
Archana lifted the smiling, giggling child into her arms and kissed her forehead gently, then turned to where King Asram stood, beaming with pride. "Congratulations, highnesses," she said, stepping lightly towards Asram and placing little Kakyuu in his arms. "This child will indeed become the new ruler of Kinmoku. Give her all your love and care, and raise her as you were raised, as a child of the light."  
  
"Thank you….thank you, all of you," Asram said, the smile on his face stretching from ear to ear. "We will do our best for her."  
  
Archana smiled as Asram returned to the bed with his dughter. "We know," she replied, then, for the first time since the ritual began, looked over to where Safhia was hiding. "And now there is someone else who would like to meet the little princess," she said with a gentle smile, and gestured to Safhia to come inside. Safhia swallowed, frozen for a moment in indecision, then pulled the door open just enough to slip inside and did so, stopping just inside the door and looking at her feet, feeling ashamed.  
  
'Now now little one, don't be afraid,' came Arvani's voice, and Safhia looked up to see all three mystics smiling at her. Her mother lay in bed with the new princess held to her breast and her husband sitting beside her. They both looked at their elder daughter with glittering eyes, and Asram beckoned her to come in. Sensing that there would be no scolding for her this time, Safhia smiled shyly and went to the side of the bed, her eyes glued to the little bundle in Kailia's lap. Asram lifted her onto the bed and held her with his arm about her waist as she knelt on the bed covers, peering at the tiny baby inside the blankets.  
  
"Safhia, say hello to your new little sister," Kailia said softly, as Safhia streched out one hand and touched the baby's small, soft hand. The child squealed happily and closed her tiny fingers around Safhia's, who smiled softly.  
  
"My little sister…." She whispered, and Kailia and Asram exchanged a gentle glance.  
  
"Her name is Kakyuu," Asram said, stroking the baby's soft hair gently. "and she is going to be a senshi, just like your mother." He kissed his wife's forehead gently, slipping his free arm around her shoulders.  
  
"A senshi……" she repeated, savoring the words. 'This means I won't have to rule!' she thought happily, and kissed the top of Kakyuu's head gently. "I love my new little sister!" she said with a grin, snuggling up to her mother, her fingers still held in the baby's tiny hand.  
  
Archana, Arvani, and Ashanti exchanged knowing glances and began to shimmer out of sight, once again becoming three many-pointed stars, then only three points of light, then one. But the happy family barely noticed as the last point of light faded from the room, so lost were they in the joy of this new miracle. 


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
~ 6 months later  
  
Kailia smiled to herself as the sounds of happy children's laughter reached her ears from across the room. She sat perched on a cushioned stool in the corner while her two little girls played among the pile of toys in the middle of the room, sewing a blanket for Kakyuu's crib. Of course she had servants to do this sort of thing, but she felt more comfortable when she kept her hands busy. Besides, she found the chore oddly relaxing, and it gave her an excuse to stay near her children and leave her husband to handle matters of state for at least a short time. She relished this time with her girls, for she knew they would grow quickly and these times would not last for long. She looked up from her sewing and sighed, her gaze resting as always on her older daughter. Safhia was entertaining her younger sister with a doll made to look like a fairy, making it "fly" and touch the little girl with her wand, while Kakyuu giggled and reached for it with her little hands.  
  
Safhia had been the perfect older sister to the little baby, though she was still only a little girl herself. She barely left her side, playing with her, feeding her when her mother would allow it, and sometimes even sleeping on a pillow beside the crib. She had obviously fallen in love with her new sister, as had everyone in the court. And when it had been announced that little Kakyuu had passed the test and received her senshi powers, making her Kailia's official heir, a collective sigh of relief went up among the Kinmokian people. When Safhia was born, her body had been too small and weak to handle the powers that the three mystics tried to bestow upon her. If they had not seen her weakness, the magic running through her body would have torn her apart from within. When it was announced that she had failed the test and was declared unable to use the powers of a senshi, Kailia's people had begun to worry that they would be in the hands of a ruler who was less-than-capable of protecting them. Some believed that they already were. They began to doubt Kailia's abilities, claiming that it was her own fault that she had not been able to produce an able heir, and that perhaps she was no more fit to rule than her daughter. It had been a difficult 8 years since Safhia had been born.  
  
But with the birth of Kakyuu, it seemed as though the people had been reassured of both their Queen's strength and their safety under the one who would take her place. The accusations had stopped, and the look of respect had returned in the eyes of the members of Kailia's court. She should have been happy. She should have been able to relax.  
  
And yet, something still troubled her. She knew that Safhia had endured much for one so young. The people of her planet, as much as she loved them, could be cruel at times, and they had looked down upon her for her shortcoming, and the people of Kinmoku knew little of subtlety. She was certain that Safhia had been aware of the people's opinion of her, despite her age, and it had made her quiet and withdrawn. She didn't like leaving the palace, unless her mother was with her, even though Kailia knew how much the little princess loved playing in the vast Kinmokian fields. She would cry if Kailia mentioned beginning schooling with other children, and would refuse to leave Kailia's side when she was holding court. It was difficult for the Queen to watch; she loved her first-born dearly, senshi powers or none, and it bothered her that she was so shy and afraid. If only she was not so small and fragile, she would have been heir to the throne as was deserving of her, and perhaps her first years would have been easier.  
  
'Perhaps, but she should be counted lucky, having so loving a mother.'  
  
Kailia's eyes widened slightly, then she chuckled softly and smiled, recognizing the voice immediately. 'Welcome, my friend,' She sent back, as a point of soft white light appeared beside her, expanding to become a floating glass orb containing a miniature image of the Lady Archana. 'What it is it that brings you? For it is rare that you should visit me without reason.'  
  
The image of Archana bowed her head slightly. 'You know me well, highness. Indeed, there is due reason for this visit. My sister Ashanti has received a vision of your eldest daughter, Safhia.'  
  
Kailia turned her head to look at the mage, who's eyes rested on the girls playing on the floor. 'What news do you bring?' she sent, anxiousness creeping into her mindvoice. She knew the mystics never received visions unless it was a matter of grave importance, for well or ill.  
  
Archana looked at her and met her eyes, then smiled slightly. 'Worry not highness, I come not to bring you grief. No harm will befall the child…' Then her expression grew serious, as she looked at the playing children, this time resting her gaze on Safhia, whose back was turned to the two women. 'However, I come bearing a warning, and I pray that you will heed it. Otherwise, I cannot predict the child's fate.'  
  
'I have always trusted you, have I not?' Kailia returned, and Archana smiled slightly and nodded.  
  
'That you have…very well. Hear my words then, and take them to heart.' She said, as the orb containing her image drifted around in front of Kailia. Archana folded her hands inside the sleeves of her robe as she met Kailia's eyes. 'Safhia's body is weak, and she will never gain the strength to fight as most people can. However, she possesses a mind stronger than any I have seen in over a century. Her powers are not unlike those you and I wield, yet they are many, many times stronger. If trained properly, beginning now, she will eventually have the strength to bring a mage of my level to his knees with only the power of her thoughts, and it will be of little effort to her.'  
  
Kailia looked beyond Archana to where Safhia sat, her eyes wide. 'That explains the "voices" she is always talking about……she says they tell her things, and that she feels things…..I always believed she simply had a particularly active imagination…'  
  
Archana nodded. 'She knows of her abilities, though she does not understand that they are anything unusual. Nor does she understand that she must be taught to use them. She is aware of the information picked up by her telepathic senses, and to a certain extent she can process it, but she does not understand how to glean what is important from what is not, and she stores it all away injudiciously. She must be taught to use her abilities correctly, or in time she will be unable to tell her own thoughts from those she picks up from others. It will cause an identity crisis no amount of counseling or healing will be able to fix.'  
  
Kailia nodded. 'I will be certain to have her trained, though by who I do not know……there is no one in our kingdom who could handle a mind so strong…..'  
  
Archana held up a hand. 'Worry not, my sisters and I will take the responsibility of training her. Her strength surpasses even ours, but together I think we will have little difficulty with her. However, there is more that I must tell you.'  
  
'More?' Kailia asked, surprised. 'What more do the fates have in store for my little one?  
  
The Mystics face darkened as her eyes took on a far-away look. 'There is one who would steal her away and manipulate her powers to serve the will of darkness. He is a mage of a strength rivaling Safhia's, but he does not have her abilities of mind magic. He is not yet aware of her existence, but in time he will be. And when he comes for her, none but she herself will have the strength to oppose him. She will be faced with a decision, and if she chooses the wrong path, our world will be lost to the darkness. All will fall to his power if he is not defeated, and if she does not do it, no one will.'  
  
Kailia's heart was racing as she listened to Archana's words, her eyes wide and frightened. "All will fall…….." she murmured aloud, looking past the image of the mystic once more to her two daughters. 'Who is this man? How long do we have?' she sent hurriedly, her mindvoice broken and frightened. Archana only shook her head.  
  
'I can tell you no more, Ashanti's vision ends here. All I can tell you is that we have time.' Sensing the Queen's distress, Archana sent a wave of calming mind-magic into her. 'There will be time enough to prepare the child for what is to come, and to teach her to use her abilities to their full extent. But, we can do no more than that. In the end, the fate of our world will be held in her hand, and the decision will be hers to make, when it comes.'  
  
Kailia sighed deeply, her eyes fixed on her elder daughter, as the orb containing Archana's image drifted back to her side and Archana too rested her gaze on the child. "My poor little one…" Kailia said softly. "How much will she be forced to endure for our people? She is so young, and yet she must be burdened with this prophecy…"  
  
Safhia heard her mother's voice and turned to look at her, and a smile spread across her face seeing Archana beside her. She stood and skipped over to them, hugging her mother around the waist and smiling up at Archana. "I thought you were here. I could feel your light, right here," she said, pointing at a spot in the middle of her chest. Archana smiled back at her.  
  
"I know you did." She said. "You are a very special girl, little princess."  
  
Safhia giggled and snuggled closer to her mother, who wrapped a protective arm about her shoulders and hugged her. She looked over to Archana, who met her eyes instantly.  
  
'Do not tell her of the prophecy, she is yet to young to understand,' Archana warned. 'Explain to her about her powers; we will take care of the rest.'  
  
Kailia nodded and turned back to her daughter. "Safhia, do you know what it means to have magic?" she asked her. Safhia nodded.  
  
"Its what you have Mama, and what the Ladies gave Kakyuu when she was born."  
  
"That's right. And you know that Kakyuu will have to be taught to use her magic, just as I was when I received it." Safhia nodded again. "Well, those feelings you have, the voices you hear, that is a different sort of magic. And just like Kakyuu, you will have to learn to use it."  
  
Safhia suddenly looked nervous. "That is magic? Does that mean I am a senshi like you and Kakyuu, mama?" she asked, here eyes wide and slightly frightened. Kakyuu shook her head, much to Safhia's relief.  
  
"No little one, you will never be a senshi," Kailia answered gently, afraid that what she was saying would disappoint the little girl. Much to her surprise, Safhia smiled and seemed less nervous at her words. "But the powers you have are still a form of magic, and you must still learn to use them properly. Lady Archana and her sisters have agreed to help you and teach you."  
  
Safhia's smile widened. "You mean I don't have to go to school with the other children anymore?" she asked, and Kailia chuckled and nodded.  
  
"Yes, but you will still have to work hard. It is very important that you learn well what the good Ladies have to teach you." she said, and Safhia nodded happily.  
  
"I will mama, I promise!" she said, quite pleased with this new development..  
  
Kailia smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Good girl. Now go along and play with your sister, Mama wants to speak with Lady Archana for a moment."  
  
"Alright Mama." Safhia stood up on her tiptoes as Kailia leaned down so that she could kiss her cheek, then she skipped back over to where Kakyuu was playing with blocks on the floor. Kailia watched her, saying nothing, and Archana looked over at her.  
  
'Worry not, my Queen,' she sent gently. 'I have faith in her. She has a good heart, that much I can see, and I believe when the time comes, she will make the right decision. And my sisters and I will see to it that she is ready to do so.'  
  
'I know…' the Queen sent back, sighing once more. 'I only wish it did not have to be so.'  
  
Archana fixed her gaze upon the Queen, who turned and met her eyes. 'All will be well, Kailia. Do not doubt that.' Then the mystic smiled softly, and the orb began to contract as the image within disappeared, slowly becoming a soft point of white light once more. 'Her training will begin tomorrow. Bring her to the Vale at mid-day. We will be waiting.'  
  
AS Archana's presence faded from the room, Kailia smiled. 'Be well, my friend,' she sent, and stood, leaving her sewing on her stool and going to gather up her daughters. It was nearly time for evening court, and they must all appear as always, despite the dull pain that was growing in her heart. 


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
~ 4 years later  
  
'Now, Safhia, you must concentrate…do not let your thoughts wander…'  
  
Safhia closed her eyes and lifted her hands, cupping them around an imaginary orb before her chest. Her brow furrowed in concentration and she breathed deeply. 'I am ready,' she sent, and the Lady Ashanti closed her own eyes.  
  
'Good girl,' she said. 'Now, we've practiced mental projection, and you've been successful at performing the task with simple objects like eggs and flowers. Today we're going to try something a little more complicated.'  
  
In the next instant, an image began to form itself in Safhia's mind. Bit by bit it became larger and clearer, and within a few seconds she could see with her mind's eye the image of a common Kinmokian soldier. Safhia resisted the urge to open her eyes and glare at her teacher.  
  
'Its too big! I can't project something so large!' she sent, but Ashanti remained silent. Realizing this was a battle she would not win, Safhia sighed and focused on the image in her mind. She breathed deeply and evenly, imagining the soldier as a real, living being, using the power of her thoughts to "push" the image out of her mind. This was the most difficult part of the exercise, and a few beads of sweat appeared on her forehead before she was through. In the space between her hands, a fuzzy image of the soldier was beginning to appear, looking a bit like the miniature men used by her father and his army generals in planning and practicing battle strategy. When she could feel that the image she held was clear and complete, she gave it an extra push with her mind, causing it to drift away from her to a spot about 5 feet away. Now it was a little easier; she willed the image to expand and grow, becoming taller and more filled out, until it stood almost 6 feet tall and had the look of a well- built man. Cautiously, trying hard not to lose her focus, she opened her eyes to see her handiwork. Before her stood what looked, for all intents and purposes, to be one of her father's men prepared for war, right down to the curl of his hair below his helmet ad the reflection of the light on his shield. She glanced over at Ashanti, who's eyes were open and watching her. The mage smiled and nodded slightly, and Safhia smiled in return.  
  
'That is good work, young princess. You have learned well.' Ashanti sent with a hint of pride in her voice. 'But I have one final challenge for you, and then you may leave for the day. Can you make the soldier move?'  
  
Safhia's eyes widened and the image wavered, but she regained her focus and lowered her brow in concentration. 'I'll try…' she sent, and this time keeping her eyes open she tried to imagine the soldier in front of her taking a step.  
  
'Remember, the image is only an extension of your mind and your imagination. You can manipulate it as you wish, once you can realize that.' Ashanti whispered into the back of her mind. Safhia heard her words and let them sink in, trying to visualize the line of connection between herself and the image. After a moment or two, she suddenly understood, and when she closed her eyes she could still see the soldier, life size and looking at her as if her were, in act, alive, and she could see a line of pale blue energy coming from the center of the image and running to someplace above her line of vision. Anyone with mage sight who was watching the young princess would have seen what looked like a softly glowing thread connecting Safhia's forehead with the stomach of the soldier.  
  
Now she understood. With a hint of a smile and new confidence, Safhia sent a command down the connecting line:  
  
'WALK!'  
  
She opened her eyes and saw the soldier take one step, then two, just as she had imagined it. Knowing now how to control her image, she then made him stop walking, draw his sword, and kneel before her, bowing his head. She grinned and looked at Ashanti, who was gliding over beside her, beaming with pride.  
  
'Very well done, my little one. That is a highly advanced skill you have just mastered. Many mind-mages do not learn to do so until they are twice your age. You should be extremely proud of your accomplishment.' Ashanti placed a hand on her young charge's shoulder and squeezed it gently. Safhia smiled up at her, then turned and pulled the image back into her mind just as she had been taught, slowly, bit by bit, so that she would leave no stray energy or thoughts behind. When there was nothing left, she finally allowed her concentration drop along with her hands, and turned to face Ashanti, a question in her eyes.  
  
"I don't understand Ashanti-sensei, what good will such a trick ever serve?" she asked aloud. The mystic never spoke except through mindspeech, and while they were working Safhia would normally do the same, but when training was through Safhia preferred to use normal speech wen she could. Ashanti understood it just as well as mindspeech, and so she did not object. "The image is just that, an image; it cannot be touched or held and it cannot affect its environment…"  
  
Ashanti placed a hand against the small of Safhia's back, pushing her gently in the direction of the path that would lead back to the palace and walking beside with her. 'Well, the more advanced mind-mages who have mastered their skills will often use that particular trick simply for entertainment, especially for others. But the images CAN perform useful functions if one is able to manipulate them effectively.' They walked slowly through the mystics' vale, a mage-created hideaway in the grassy plains about a mile or so from the palace. It was an enormous place, almost a city in itself, though only the three mystics and their faerie servants resided there. Inside the vale it was always warm and comfortable, the humidity kept at a perfect level. It was created to resemble a sort of rainforest, with huge trees whose branches created a canopy overhead, and soft moss like a thick green carpet underfoot. There were paths weaving in and around the trunks of these enormous trees, along which were hung softly- glowing mage lanterns which were attached to the trunks of the trees themselves and made to look as if they were in fact parts of he trees as well. The lanterns were always lit, for the canopy of branches and leaves shut out most of the sunlight during the day, and at night they would simply glow more brightly. They were kept alive by the current of magical energy that ran calmly throughout the vale, and the single thought that had created them was enough to keep them lit as long as that energy existed.  
  
In some of the trees, high above the ground, were many small hut-like dwellings in which lived the childlike but intelligent faeries that had served the mystics for at least a millennia. They were similar to the faeries and sprites who played and lived in the vast Kinmokian plains in many ways, but unlike their smaller cousins the mystics' faeries grew to be almost four feet tall. They also had a great deal of physical strength in addition to their powers of limited magic, though you would never know it to look at them; they looked almost as thin and fragile as the playful plains faeries. No one seemed to know exactly how the faeries had come into being (the mystics knew and kept it secret for reasons of their own) though there were plenty of theories. Some believed that a group of the more common plains faeries had wandered into the vale and had been unable to find their way out, and had become what they were today from the centuries of constant exposure to unfamiliar magic. Others believed that they had been created by the mystics themselves when the vale itself had been made. However, the Kinmokian public was agreed on one fact: the faeries had undoubtedly been created by magic. They were immortal, as were many such creatures on Kinmoku, but their immortality was dependent on their proximity to magic. A few adventurous ones long ago had tried to leave, and had not even made it to the capital city before they perished. They would live for as long as they remained within the mystics' vale, and for a short time after leaving it, but within a day or so they would become weak and die. It was the mystics' magic which had created them, and it was that same magic that kept them alive. With the exception of those first few, however, they were not unhappy with the arrangement; faeries by nature were uncomfortable with unfamiliarity and rarely if ever left the place of their birth, and these faeires were no different. The vale was familiar and comfortable to them, and they had no desire to leave it. And though the mystics required much of them, they treated them exceptionally well, providing them with good food and allowing them more leisure time than any palace servant, not to mention the tree-huts they had built that were as comfortable inside as any faerie's nest in the plains, perhaps moreso for here they were safe from the dangers of weather and climate changes, as well as from larger creatures who might trample or even try to eat them, a horrible fate for a creature who cannot die but can certainly feel pain. No, the faeries were perfectly happy right where they were, and they were loyal to the mystics to a fault.  
  
One of these faeries stood on the path in front of Safhia and Ashanti as they came around a corner, holding a basket of what looked like brightly colored fruits and looking up at a hut high in the large tree she stood beside. As they approached, the faerie turned to look at them and, seeing who it was, flashed a brilliant smile and touched two fingers to her forehead, then her chest, in the traditional greeting of her people. Safhia and her mentor smiled and returned the greeting, recognizing the faerie as Toki, one of the clan's leaders; the faeries, like Safhia's people, were primarily led by women.  
  
"Good evening to you, young princess, milady," the faerie said in a slightly accented, lilting voice, shifting her basket of fruit in her hands. "Finished your training for the day, I see."  
  
:Yes, she's off for home, now,: Ashanti sent with a smile. :And so are you, it seems.: Toki smiled again and nodded, her wings slowly spreading and closing. The faeries' wings, like those of a moth, were covered in a soft, featherlike, iridescent powder, and when they moved it looked as if their color were changing. They were like beautiful prisms, catching all the colors of the rainbow.  
  
"Aye, that I am milady. I've finished today's work, and the vale seems quiet, so I'm off to take some rest."  
  
:And it is certainly rest well deserved,: Ashanti replied. :And I will certainly not be the one to keep you from it. Have a good rest my friend.:  
  
"And you, milady, Princess," Toki replied, nodding her head to Ashanti and her young apprentice, before turning and leaping into the air, her glittering wings carrying her high into the treetops as she held her basket tightly. Safhia waved until the faerie had disappeared into her hut high in the branches, then turned back to the path at the touch of Ashanti's hand on her shoulder. As they continued down the path, Safhia's mind returned to her earlier question.  
  
"Ashanti-sensei, you said those images could be useful, but you never told me how," she began, and Ashanti chuckled.  
  
'I certainly admire your persistence, young one,' Ashanti said with a hint of humor in her mindvoice, and Safhia looked defensive.  
  
"I only want to know the proper use for my powers, sensei," she said, looking at her. "You and your sisters, and even my mother…especially Mother…always tell me how important it is that I learn to use them well. What good is it to know how to use my powers if I do not know when to use them?"  
  
Ashanti chuckled. 'As always, little one, you are very wise for your age,' she sent as they turned another corner and neared the portal that served as the entrance and exit to the vale. The only signal that you had come to the portal was a slight waver in the air; the natural illusion of the vale was perfect in that respect. Nothing of the outside world was visible while you were inside, and this perfectly disguised portal was the only way in or out of the vale. In fact, if someone unfamiliar with the vale were to stumble across the portal on the other side, it was entirely possible that that person might never find the way out. The mystics always guided Safhia to the exit, but she had spent so much of her young life here that finding her way was almost second nature to her. Coming upon it now, she immediately knew it for what it was, and was careful not to step into the boundary of the portal until she and Ashanti were finished speaking. She turned to face her now, and Ashanti looked down on her young apprentice with a slight smile on her face. She cupped her cheek in one hand; her touch was soft and warm against Safhia's cheek, and tingled slightly with the magic that ran throughout the mystic's body.  
  
'Yes, you are a very intelligent little girl, and you have done exceedingly well in your lessons these past years. I fear there is little more that I or my sisters will be able to teach you. The most important lessons you will not learn from us, but through experience. Very soon, my little one, you will be on your own, and we will be unable to help you further. But before that time, if there were only one thing I would have you learn from us, it would be this:' she paused here, and knelt, looking straight into Safhia's eyes, and when she spoke again her mindvoice was serious and insistent. 'You must never, no matter how you feel justified, use your powers to cause harm to one who does not deserve it. Your mind is a weapon, Safhia, and like any weapon it is both dangerous and deadly, and must not be abused or used unjustly. You have been given a gift, a gift that one day you may need to keep those you love safe, and you have the strength in your heart to use it for great good. But do not let yourself be tricked into using your powers for evil by pride, jealousy, or hate; any misuse of your powers, however small, will make it easier for the dark powers of the world to catch and hold you. You must always shield your heart against hurtful feelings, and try always to love those around you, even those who may hurt you.'  
  
Safhia stared breathlessly into Ashanti's depthless, searching silver eyes and nodded slowly. "I understand…..I will do my best, sensei," she said quietly, and Ashanti smiled.  
  
'I know you will, princess. If I thought otherwise, I would never have agreed to teach you.' She stood once more and turned Safhia back towards the portal, pressing her hand against the small of Safhia's back and pushing her towards the boundary. 'And now you must run along home, your mother will be worried.'  
  
Safhia blinked, then her eyes widened and she looked over her shoulder at Ashanti, just as she stepped over the boundary. "Wait, Ashanti- sensei, you still didn't answer my question…"  
  
Then there was a sudden instant of disorientation, a sensation of falling, and before she could say another word Safhia found herself outside the vale, surrounded by the waist-high grasses of the Kinmokian plains, and looking towards the capital city, the crystal spires of the palace rising above the horizon and glowing orange and red in the last light of the setting sun.  
  
'That is for tomorrow's lesson,' came Ashanti's voice in her mind, sounding amused. 'Goodnight, princess.'  
  
Safhia's mouth dropped open in surprise, but a moment later she was laughing. The mystics, for all their wisdom and power, certainly had a sense of humor. 'But,' she thought as she began walking through the grass towards the palace, 'she won't get away with that tomorrow. I'll make sure of it!' She smiled to herself as she skipped through the grass and neared the palace gates, holding her skirts up to keep them from getting dirty or caught between her legs, her red hair reflecting and glowing in the equally red light of sunset. 


	5. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Safhia reached the palace gates just as the last of the sun sank beneath the horizon. The guard recognized her immediately and smiled as he opened the gate for her. She stopped and curtseyed quickly, thanking the man before hurrying inside. It was late, and evening court would begin in less than an hour.  
  
The courtyard was far from quiet: men and women in court-dress stood in small groups here and there, sharing news and gossip, while a group of children about Safhia's age played among them. They laughed and squealed happily, chasing each other around the courtyard in a game of tag, sometimes hiding behind their parents to avoid being caught (who quickly shooed them back to their friends). Safhia longed to join their game, to run and play like a normal little girl with the other children, but she knew better than to try. It wasn't that they wouldn't let her play with them; they were the sons and daughters of Kinmokian nobles, after all, and they would do so with perfect manners. But, as she knew from experience, once the game began they would do all they could to ignore and generally exclude her from it. She was too far separated from them; after the years of private schooling with the mystics, which the children saw as some sort of special treatment that she had not earned, it had been too long since she had last done anything with them as a group. All of the children knew of her failings, they knew she was weak in body and had no magic, at least not of the kind they understood. She was the first princess of Kinmoku, and yet she would not inherit the throne. It didn't matter that she had an even stronger power, it didn't matter that she could crush a man or level a building with the strength of her mind alone, and it didn't matter that the only reason she was being taught by the three mages was to help her control that strength, or that one day she might use those very powers to protect them. They were only children, after all, and most of them children who were cared for by governesses or other servants rather than their parents. They often were left to themselves, and so they drew their own conclusions, unaware of just how unfairly they had treated Safhia. They only saw that they, as they believed, had been slighted in favor of one who, in their eyes, was undeserving of such treatment.  
  
And so they shut her out, made her feel like a foreigner in her own land, and by their very presence reminded her everyday of just how much of a failure she was.  
  
She hadn't realized that she'd stopped walking, or that she'd been staring at the group of children at play, until most of them had halted their game and were staring right back, unheeded by the adults. One of them, a young boy named Taro, met her eyes and shook his head slowly, his eyes locked on hers. He was the son of the Baron of Kinron, one of the largest city-states on Kinmoku, and would inherit his father's land and power in just three years. He was a good two years older than most of the other children, and so he generally as looked upon as the leader when they were all together as they were now. Safhia read an unspoken warning in his eyes and looked away, continuing on her way through the courtyard with her eyes looking straight ahead. She could feel their eyes on her as she passed, heard their silence above the chatter of the adults around them. She wanted to bow her head in shame, but she wouldn't let them see her guilt; she wanted to run from their as fast as she could and not stop until she was safe within the palace walls, but she wouldn't show them that she was afraid. Today, as in so many of these encounters, her pride was the only thing that kept her from making a fool of herself.  
  
And so she walked gracefully past the last of the adults and through the open door at the end of the courtyard, into the reception area with its grand curving staircase and cascading arrangements of lilies and ivy in tall vases in the corners. A huge crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling and sent refracted the light from the mage-lit lanterns on the walls into a thousand bright rainbows. She had always loved that chandelier, had loved to watch the rainbows as they danced against the walls, but today she barely looked at them as, hidden from the hot stares of the other children, she broke into a run up the stairs and into the hall above, which would lead to her private chambers. She felt hot tears stinging her eyes, but ignored them. She told herself that it wasn't worth crying over; this happened all the time, it was nothing she wasn't already used to.  
  
And yet, even after all this time, it still hurt.  
  
Reaching the door to her chambers, she pulled it open and slipped silently inside, then shut the door quietly behind her. For a moment she stood with one hand pressed against the door, taking deep breaths to calm herself. She was still required to appear in court tonight, and thankfully the other children rarely attended. They usually preferred to stay outside and play, for it was one of the few times when they could do so without their parents (or other adults) looking on. Reminding herself of that fact, she finally moved away from the door and went to the open window, drawing the gauzy white curtains closed so that she could change. A soft breeze filtered into the room and toyed with her hair as she untied the belt that held her robe closed. She always wore a robe like those the mystics themselves wore when she was training in the vale; it was simpler in cut and decoration but quite beautiful, and was the most comfortable piece of clothing she owned, for it was made of the softest, lightest fabric in Kinmoku. It was made as such so that she would not be distracted in her studies by uncomfortable clothing (even the smallest distraction could be dangerous, when working with mind magic). Despite all this, however, it was certainly not suitable for a court appearance, and having shed the robe she walked into her closet to find a more appropriate outfit.  
  
A few moments later she emerged wearing a dress cut in the traditional style of Kinmokian royalty: all in red and gold, it fit her upper body tightly and fell to the floor in a full skirt of red satin. The sleeves were puffed at her shoulders, but below were long, wide sleeves of golden chiffon. The bodice was adorned with golden embroidery, and at the waist was decorated with small golden bells that tinkled as she walked. Her slippers, made of the same red satin, were embroidered similarly around the ankles. Into her hair she placed the small golden tiara of the first princess, and fastened a golden chain around her slender neck, along with matching bracelets around both wrists. Now she stood before the full-length mirror on her wall and studied herself, thinking. She looked, she knew, exactly as a princess should look: feminine, dainty, and wealthy, just like a little china doll. She sighed and touched the tiara in her hair. It just didn't feel right; it was beautiful, but all the same she hated it. She didn't want to be a princess, she didn't want the responsibility, the expectations, the pressure…and though she was happy to have been relieved of the duties of ruling Kinmoku, she felt guilty. She didn't want the throne, and she never had, but she felt as if she had failed in her duty as the Queen's first-born. Now her sister would be forced to take her place and shoulder her burden, and who was to say that, when the time came, she wouldn't feel just the same as Safhia did now? Who would be there to help her to bear its weight?  
  
Here, safe from prying eyes, Safhia allowed herself to drop her eyes to the floor, her shoulders slumped slightly in weary sadness. None of it seemed fair, not to anyone. She knew her mother had undergone as much pain as she herself had; she knew the way people had spoken of the Queen before Kakyuu was born…the way some still did…and she also knew that it was because of her. She sometimes wondered if she hadn't been born at all, if Kakyuu had been the first born, if everything wouldn't have been easier for them. The shame of knowing what her weakness was putting her family through was overwhelming. It seemed like every night it became harder and harder to face the noblemen and women who attended Kailia's court, knowing what they said about her and her family. She wanted to protect them, wanted to make them proud of her…  
  
And yet she still could not bear the very idea of having to ascend the throne. She knew it was selfish, but she couldn't help the way she felt. To even think that she would have been responsible for the well being of an entire planet terrified her. These opposing feelings were tearing her in two, or at least they would if she'd let them, but once again her pride was her salvation. It was one of the few things she had inherited from her father, and it kept her from falling apart when she was feeling as she did now. Though she inwardly believed that much of what the people thought of her was true, she would not show it. She held her head high in the presence of others and pretended she didn't care what they said, and hoped that eventually they would run out of things to talk about.  
  
'Safhia, you're going to be late again,' came Kailia's gentle voice inside her mind, breaking into her thoughts and bringing her out of her musings and back to the real world. She hadn't realized just how long she'd been standing there.  
  
'I'm sorry, mother, I'm coming,' she sent in reply, practically running out of her chambers and back down the hall towards the staircase. Upon reaching the top she stopped for a moment and checked herself, smoothing her dress and making sure her tiara was straight, before stepping into the light of the reception area and into view of the mass of adults who were milling about below, having moved inside from the courtyard as it grew nearer to the time when evening court would officially begin. Taking a deep breath she began her descent, realizing that the eyes of many of the men and women below were on her and trying to ignore them, holding herself erect and trying to look as if she hadn't a care in the world. 


End file.
